ALAN Walker-Harris is one man who would love to have a nice, quiet season this time around.

The Magpies’ keeper was busier than most last term as his side lost their Conference South status.

And the fact Walker-Harris picked up the club’s player of the year award was evidence that the campaign could have been a lot worse had he not been in such good form.

Now getting ready for life in the Southern Premier League, the shot stopper admits that the club’s relegation in April hasn’t been easy to get over, with a good start to the new season needed to lay those ghosts to rest.

“I take pride in the work I do and there’s nothing worse than someone asking how you did and you telling them you were relegated,” he said.

“It’s a horrible thing to have to admit but you can’t get away from it.

“It’s hard to get over and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but we’ve got to move on and we can’t dwell on it.

“Hopefully as we get into the new season we can win a few games and put what happened before behind us.”

He continued: “I think you would have to go a long way to find a keeper that was busier than I was last season, that’s for sure.

“If I don’t get the player of the year again at the end of this season I’ll be quite happy.

“I’ve played in this league before and it’s worlds apart from the Conference South.

“But don’t get me wrong, it’s a tough league and it’s going to be a slog, and it’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination.”

Walker-Harris, who will be backed up by youngster Shane Murphy as his number two, reckons that anything better than a mid-table finish will be a bonus for the county town club.

And he feels the supporters are under no illusion about how tough it is going to be.

He added: “The Dorchester fans have got a good grasp of the situation we are in.

“I still think there is a little bit of last season hanging about so it’s important we make a good start.

“We’ve got to be competitive and win most of our home games, and if we look back at the end of the season and have won more than we have lost then I think that will be an achievement.”

One player the Magpies won’t have in their line up for Saturday’s opener at Arlesey Town is Mark Jermyn, and Walker-Harris is disappointed not to see the former captain still around the Avenue after a summer move to Poole ended his long career with the club.

“His experience, leadership and voice on the pitch were really important for us,” he added. “We have lost that from the team and that’s a shame.

“Everyone knows about Mark Jermyn and Dorchester, and it’s strange that he’s not about.”